


Unexpected Union

by OrderOfRevan



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, F/M, Summer Fling 2017, Wild Core Nonsense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 01:45:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12201408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrderOfRevan/pseuds/OrderOfRevan
Summary: A potential alliance!Senator Amidala is contacted by a former Republic Citizen who is now the wife of a powerful Warlord from the Unknown Regions who wishes to ally with the Republic and provide them with resources at this crucial juncture in their conflict with the Separatist Army. Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano accompany her to the meeting with the woman and her new family, and negotiations appear to be going well.But conspiracies stir in the shadows unbeknownst to our heroes, a danger lurking that could threaten the infant friendship of the Republic and the Union...





	Unexpected Union

**Author's Note:**

> This work is going to continue being updated. It took me FOREVER to figure out how to write this the way I wanted to.
> 
> I promise that there will be cute romantic moments eventually, and plenty of bonding between master and student of a non-romantic nature, but for the time being, the introduction chapter is all I was able to finish.

Anakin watched the man carefully from the corner of his eye as they spend toward the Jedi Temple, across Coruscant's vast cityscape. It was mooring in this district, light spilling through the gaps in the skyscrapers, casting dappled shadows across their tops and drawing the eye... Though not the attention of his esteemed guest.

He appeared perfectly relaxed and curious, as any outsider would be in his situation, but Anakin could sense that the intensity of those bright yellow eyes even without the Force.

It was the Force that told the most interesting story, though, when Anakin reached out with his feelings. The man's center blazed like a white dwarf, intense but somehow dim, like his connection to the Force was hidden behind a shroud that could still not manage to fully conceal it. His presence was a powerful one, one that might surprise some of the more traditional Jedi Masters, who would not know what to make of such a potentially chaotic untrained Force Sensitive.

And it was no wonder, Anakin thought, now openly watching his guest as the man leaned forward in his seat to stare intently at the four spires of the Jedi Temple, which had only now come into view.

Magus Sorrus Harlle was an alien of a species never before seen within the borders of the Republic or even known space. He and his people were a mystery not just to the Jedi, but to every being in the Galaxy, a species whose appearance brought to mind the corruption of the Dark Side. Bright red skin and eyes that burned with the fiery reds, oranges, and yellows of a new star characterized their appearance more than their large size and their tangles of thick, black hair ever could. 

It would worry the Masters, Anakin thought, leaning back to consider the Temple with a long, flat stare. The Magus was a Force Sensitive with a sinister appearance, and he sincerely doubted that they'd take Anakin's word that there was nothing really off-putting about him.

Oh, he was dangerous, certainly.

Anakin had known that the moment the man had stepped from his ship, entourage in tow, and spoke with authority to the members of the Senate who had gathered to meet him. There was nothing even his broken Basic could do to mask his air of self-assurance or disguise the cleverness contained in his gaze that he hid with an unassuming smile.

But did being a potential danger really mean a man couldn't be trusted?

Looking at the Magus as he intently stared at the Jedi Temple, Anakin wasn't so sure.

"So," Anakin began, drawing the Magus' eyes away from the Temple. "Senator Amidala never really gave me the full explanation about you and your people. She just asked me to meet her at the Spaceport  this morning to talk to a guest about the Jedi."

The Magus leaned back, his expression somewhere between contemplative and bemused as he looked at Anakin, "You are quite close friends for her to be able to summon you on short notice."

Anakin kept his expression neutral, wanting to ask the man to answer his question but not quite certain how to approach a person of his station. There were no rules written down for how to deal with foreign powers from the Unknown Regions, and Padme` wasn't here to give him direction, so he just stared... Earning himself a hearty laugh in the process.

"Relax, Jedi Skywalker," the Magus continued. "You are a being of tense shoulders and intense stares. I will answer the question."

His smile didn't falter even as his eyes turned back toward the Temple, "We are from world called Petrys and discovered your Republic because my wife is from these Core Worlds. I was curious about you, especially about these Jedi to which you belong. We have different beliefs regarding use of Gifts, so Jedi intrigued me most of all." Anakin watched as he laughed again, though it was more of a breathy chuckle this time, "We did not expect you to be engaged in civil war."

_Gifts._

Anakin had never really heard the Force described by a non-Republic culture before, and the description interested him. The man clearly took it seriously, something he was certain of just from the way the Magus said the word, though in a way that made it even less likely for the Jedi to listen to him or take him seriously.

"Well, welcome to the Republic," Anakin said, gesturing to the city around them. "Right now it's a bit of a mess, with the Separatists, but I hope you enjoy your visit. We have freedom here, democracy," something Anakin suspected the Magus' people didn't have, "and that has to be worth something."

"Yes, your democracy is also curious to me," the Magus said, eyes scanning the cityscape. "There are a good many things about which I am interested, including your poverty rate, among other such things."

"Poverty rate?" Anakin asked, his brow furrowing deeply, the Jedi Temple beginning to feel more like the threat of conflict every passing moment.

"You are engaged in a war, are you not? Wars are time of strain and stress when domestic issues may face... I believe the word is neglect?" Magus Harlle pressed his lips together, orange-red skin growing  more apparent as they passed from the shadows of the skyscrapers into the cleared airspace around the Temple. "It is understandable, but I wondered only if my people could help yours. In spite of harsh climate of our world, we are a very rich collective of planets."

The words caught Anakin off guard.

He was used to the Republic annexing worlds that joined in their plight, giving them a personal stake in the conflict ahead. The Petrysians, though, had their own government, their own collective of planets to govern, and to be offered help as if to an equal was... Well, it was interesting.

After all he'd been through, after all the negotiations he'd even been tangentially involved in, it was something he had forgotten was possible.

"That's something you're going to have to negotiate over with the Republic Senate," Anakin admitted. "If you told your wife about it, I'm sure she'll discuss it with Senator Amidala."

"She certainly intends to, Jedi Skywalker. They will take better to offers made by small, curvy, Human than a large, red, Petrysian, yes?" He laughed once more, eyes scanning the docking stations of the Jedi Temple, only a few scant moments away now. "I have no illusions about your Senate, but your Jedi I know much less about. For so public an Order, you are very reclusive creatures."

"We take our beliefs seriously, Magus Harlle," Anakin said with a small bow of his head. "To us, the Force is an integral part of how we interact with the world and we believe in using it responsibly for the benefit of as many people as possible without giving in to attachment or negativity."

The man's thick eyebrows arched, but he said nothing, standing before the speeder landed, teal tails of his long coat flapping in the wind. His balance was perfect, likely enhanced by his ability with the Force, betraying some mastery of his "Gifts", which was honestly more than the Jedi would be expecting.

It was more than he had expected, too.

With little preamble, they both leaped from the sides of the speeder the moment it landed, droid driving away back into the tangle of the city. Anakin didn't bother to watch him go, focusing his mind instead of the group of Jedi walking toward him, spearheaded by Masters Yoda and Windu.

Taking a deep breath, he centered himself, prepared for the disapproving stares and general air of disappointment, sparing a single moment to look at his guest, who looked as calm and confident as ever.

Vaguely, Anakin wondered what was going on inside of his mind, but in spite of his own immense power, empathy had never been his strong suit. If someone didn't want him to know what they were feeling and they had enough power to mask their emotions, they could keep him out easily.

And it was that thought, the promise of that power, that worried Anakin the most as they walked forward to meet the Jedi.

* * *

Magus-Wife Serafi Harlle was difficult to read, emotions carefully locked behind a composed face that would be the envy of anyone on the Senate floor. She had the grace of a Queen, a concept Padme` was more familiar with than most of those gathered to treat with the woman and hear of her adventures in the depths of Unknown Space.

It wasn't an innate grace, though.

Padme` knew that much simply by looking up her records in the Republic's Database - The daughter of a Twin Suns gang member born on Coruscant while her father was hiding from the White Maw pirates, she was adopted at a young age by a Trandoshan Smuggler named Tyzokk and raised beside his children. Most of her life had been spent in his employ, a known criminal along with her siblings, until they had mysteriously disappeared into the Unknown regions nearly a decade ago.

None of that mattered, though, not in light of her current status, nor her presence. She was quiet and powerful all at once, possessing a keen eye for politics and an endearing and gentle smile that didn't seem insincere.

It was her articulate words that had reached out to Padme` and brought them here today, to the Senate Building, sitting and talking with Padme`'s dearest friends and allies as if she were born into this kind of position. More than anything, it was that ability to adapt and change that Padme` found all the more admirable because of her long and troubled past.

"Tell me," her Uncle Ono asked in his quiet way, spreading his hands as he peered at the Magus-Queen with his multi-faceted eyes, "What prompted you to return to the Republic, my dear?"

"I haven't really returned, Senator Onoconda," she replied, brushing a strand of red hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I'm here to speak on the behalf of my people -- the people who adopted me when the rest of the Galaxy turned away from my plight."

Padme` watched Uncle Ono's face carefully, shock momentarily flickering across his features as his stalks stiffened, but it was quickly replaced by understanding, "Not always are our families those of our own species," he said, glancing to Padme` with a smile in his eyes. "I feel we would be failing our duty if we didn't make every effort to embrace that part of you."

Turning her eyes to the Magus-Wife, Padme` watched her face soften, her expression easing into something more genuine. The shift did not go unnoticed by Mon, who adjusted her weight so that the chair creaked underneath her and cast Padme` a glance, just like the ones she'd give during sessions on the Senate floor.

"And what is it that you would like to say on behalf of the Petrysians?" Mon asked, her eyes sliding toward the Magus-Wife, her gaze like a spotlight.

"I would like to offer the assistance of my people," said the woman, lifting her chin proudly. "The Republic is in dire straits, considering the war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. On the behalf of the Magus, I would like to offer support and relief, and the chance for asylum for any refugees fleeing from the fallout of the conflict."

"And would you be offering the same to the Separatists?" Mon inquired, folding her hands carefully in her lap, poised and statuesque as she always was in the face of negotiations.

The Magus-Wife didn't hesitate to answer.

"No," she said, and the slope of Mon's shoulder's relaxed as the smile Bail hid behind his hand widened. "This is an exclusive offer."

She had told Padme` as much during their correspondence, but hearing the affirmation and watching her friends finally be at ease around their guest lifted a weight from her shoulders. It was good to know that her faith had not been misplaced, though honestly, she hadn't really been expecting it to, it was just... There was so much at stake with the war, and she supposed that the stress was starting to get to her.

One of these days she would need to take a temporary sabbatical with Anakin, but today was not that day.

"I'm not sure if we can manage to convince the Senate to accept your offer," said Bail, finally breaking his contemplative silence, "but your offer is quite generous. I'm sure we'd all like to discuss the details."

"Yes," Uncle Ono agreed, "But might I first suggest lunch? We've all been talking too long and taking one another entirely too seriously. I believe camaraderie would strengthen our bonds."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Padme` agreed, standing up and walking across the room toward the door, freezing when she heard unfamiliar voices on the other side.

Hesitating, her hands hesitated over the metal, jumping when the door opened in front of her and a young man dressed in the Alderaanian style stepped into the room. He glanced nervously between the five of them, and then cleared his throat, straightening his back and focusing his eyes on Bail.

"Senators Onoconda, Organa, Mothma -- your presence is requested for an impromptu meeting," he bowed his head. "The Banking Clan requests your expertise."

"I suppose we'll have to postpone lunch, then," Mon said with a sigh, placing her hand briefly on Padme`'s shoulder. "Perhaps we can meet for dinner later?"

"That's up to Magus-Wife Serafi," Padme` said, looking toward her guest, who smiled and nodded.

"Of course. It's been a long time since I've had a proper Coruscanti meal," she replied, standing to shake Ono's hand before he left the room. "I'd be absolutely delighted."

Padme` watched, her brow furrowing deeply, bracing her hand against the doorframe as her friend departed. The young man watched, smiling politely but nervously, making her wonder if it was perhaps his first day on the job.

It certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he did. After all, this was a famous building in the oldest sector of the city, more historied than any other part of the Republic. To be here, to serve these people and be part of that history... It could be intimidating for someone who came from a small world, remembering her own shaking hands the first time she'd arrived here as Senator.

Then he turned away, she caught the sight of a deep red tattoo on the back of his hand -- a pair of entwined circles with stark, angular lines radiating from the edges. For some reason, the sight filled her with a sense of disquiet, though she wasn't sure why until she turned to the Magus-Wife and saw that her face had gone deathly pale, as if she were looking back toward a memory she would rather not recall.

"Magus-Wife?" she asked, feeling resolve fill her chest like a fire.

"I don't wish to alarm you," the woman said as the door slid closed behind him, "but I'm afraid that the Senate may have been infiltrated by the Twin Suns."

The two words confirmed Padme`'s worst fears, mind racing with possibilities. There was no way they could know, after all, if he was still a current member of the gang, though her instinct told her that he must be. There was something going on here, something that she was determined to get to the bottom of one way or another.

Taking a deep breath, she smoothed out her skirt, focusing a steely gaze on the doorway.

"Come with me, Magus-Wife," Padme` said, watching the fear in the woman's eyes waver, replaced with quiet resolve, "I believe it's in our best interests to find a holoprojector."

She would contact Anakin, Ahsoka... _Anyone_.

And if it was already too late to reach the outside world, if their communications had already been cut off, then... Well... She supposed they would simply have to find a way to solve the problem themselves.

Watching as Serafi Harlle passed her, chin held high with pride once more, Padme` felt reassured that they were making the right decision.

She could only hope that they weren't too late.

* * *

Ahsoka wasn't really sure what to make of the quiet, demure, boy next to her.

It wasn't that he was rude, exactly, just... Not very engaged, no matter how friendly she tried to be. He made her feel awkward, like she couldn't get through to him even though she was generally good with people, and it was making her question why her Master had pushed them together in the first place.

Had he known?

Was it some sort of test to make her learn more about herself by forcing her to interact with people she wasn't comfortable with?

Because if that was the case, she'd been nothing but perfectly polite to him, he just... didn't engage her back.

It seemed the Force was determined to make fun of her, because the moment she thought those words the bright yellow eyes of Acolyte Satchi Harlle slid towards her and he spoke, "Is it true that you use a Clone Army to fight your war?"

Ahoska, sitting inside the closed air speeder, turned her full attention away from the window, looking him in the eye, "It's true," she said. "You can't tell me you didn't know what when you're the one who asked to see where we house the soldiers who are on shore leave here?"

"I am an outsider," he said, pressing a brilliant red hand to his chest, his eyes turning away from her as he stared back out the window. "Though I've researched the materials Senator Amidala provided us, I am at a disadvantage when it comes to understanding your practices and culture."

Ahsoka stared at him, the only sounds for a moment the humming of the repulsorlifts  and the persistent drumming of the Acolyte's fingers against his thigh. Sighing, she ran one of her hands along her right lek, staring back out of the window, finding that the city somehow looked bleaker than it had that morning.

"They're clones," she said after a moment of silence had passed them by. "They were made on behalf of the Jedi Order for the Republic to fight a war against the Droid Armies of the CIS."

She felt the fire in his eyes as they snapped to her again, turning her head back just in time to see his slit pupils dilate ever so slightly, "And you don't consider that unethical? Creating an entire army of men to fight and die for you?"

"The Jedi **_do_** consider it unethical," Ahoska argued, trying and failing not to be taken aback by the seemingly sudden shift in his personality. "We treat the clones with dignity and respect."

"But do you do anything to change the way they are viewed by the public?" He demanded, the flashing of flames in his eyes growing to a passionate blaze. "I've read the reports Senator Amidala provided, and as I understand it, they are seen as little more than droids to the people who ask for their defense. They are told they have no choice but to fight, and are murdered for deserting."

His words were blunt, an object for bludgeoning, leaving her a bit breathless as she fumbled for words, watching the way the light creeping through the skyscrapers fell in beams across his brightly patterned coat. Ahsoka swallowed and fought back the urge to argue with anger, finding her center, her fingernails digging into the leather seats of the speeder, "The Jedi don't have the power to affect that sort of change. All we can do is treat the men under our command as well as we can."

"But can you not speak to the people?" he said, the passion in his words making his voice crack; though she wondered a moment later if maybe it was just hormones, considering he was about her age. "You are the religious arbiters and guardians of the Republic! Surely there must be something that can be done."

She felt his emotions spike violently, compassion warring with deep sorrow and distress, his leg bouncing up and down as his anxiety filled the speeder's cabin. His expression, which before had looked annoyed, suddenly looked careworn, frazzled, as one of  his tightly restrained black curls came loose from his pony tail and fell into his eyes.

"I..." she began, not really knowing what to say to him, not knowing how to respond to this kind of intensity; she was used to the Jedi, who curbed their passion with patience, not... Not let it fuel them this way. "We're not supposed to be involved in politics," she finished lamely. "The Masters say that a Jedi simply guards the people, but allows them to make their own decisions."

The words quieted him, his anxiety replaced by a deep sorrow, emotions quickly cut off from her, like he was shoving them into a closet and out of sight. Leg stilling, his eyes fell to his hands, balled into fists in his lap, brows furrowing deeply, "But it is wrong. Providing people with an alternative viewpoint is not an attempt to control them, it is simply giving them more information."

She stared at him, eyes wide, mouth gaping, trying to find an answer to his question that didn't sound like an excuse to her. Truth be told, as Anakin's padawan she saw firsthand the corruption of the Republic, but she had to believe they were nothing like the Separatists and the Sith... That they had the moral high ground in this conflict.

"If we use our power to influence the sentiment of the people, we're using our passions to sway public opinion, which is the realm of the Sith," she argued quietly, refusing to meet his eyes. "The Jedi have to remain impartial and only act in defense of the people."

Her eyes seemed to burn into her shoulder, smoldering as the fire died from them, seemingly as he realized this was an argument he could not win, "Such is not the way of the Petrysians," he explained. "Passion isn't to our detriment, it is a part of what makes us truly strong, tempered by good intentions and logic. If this is the way of the Jedi and Republic, so be it, but I can't personally understand, not when such silence allows the people to be swayed by the sentiments of monsters and madmen. With no counter voice to speak the truth, do they really have the choice but to believe lies?"

Ahsoka didn't have a response for him, worrying her lip in between her teeth instead, letting cold silence swell between them. She'd finally gotten him talking, but at what expense? It seemed he was fiery and prone to debate, odd and out of place on Coruscant, among the Jedi and the Republic where opinions were hid behind cloak and dagger games and in the folds of robes and the wrinkle of a Master's face.

There were no more words exchanged between them as they approached the barracks on Coruscant, the taxi lowering itself to the landing pad. Through the windshield she could see Captain Rex waiting, and wondered if her Master had called ahead to make sure they had a chaperone while they were here.

Wordlessly and with the dignity of the heir to a great legacy, her quiet companion with the streak of heat in his eyes stepped from the Taxi, forcing her to follow him as quickly as she could manage.

It was then, watching his back, his teal coat flowing behind him, that it struck her.

He had _masked his feelings_ from her, hidden behind a wall that she couldn't breach no matter how much she pushed her senses against it.

Frozen on the landing pad in broad daylight, she watched him approach Rex, who was staring at her with a confused look on his face, knowing that she and her Master might have very well been mistaken. The Acolyte and his grandfather were no mere rulers of a desert kingdom somewhere in the depths of Unknown Space who possessed technology Senator Amidala and her entourage had never seen.

They were Force Sensitive, and powerful, and that meant no matter their intentions, they were untrained...

And they were _dangerous._


End file.
